Christian History 1700 to 1799

1700

A Protestant leader named Gaspard de Coligny was slain by 17th century Catholics and after the murder, the Catholic mob mutilated his body. According to reports, his head was cut off and so were his hands and genitals. He was dumped into a river but then upon deciding he was not worthy to be fed to the fish, his cadaver was hauled out again and dragged. What was left of his body was thrown into the gallows of Montfaulcon “to be meat and carrion for maggots and crows.”

Seventeenth Century Catholics also sacked the city of Magdeburg, Germany where roughly 30,000 Protestants were slain. As reported by poet Friedrich Schiller, "In a single church fifty women were found beheaded, and infants still sucking the breasts of their lifeless mothers."

At least 40% of the population, mostly in Germany, was decimated in the 30 year Catholic vs. Protestant war.

1720

April 7, MADRID (Spain) - In one of the last major Auto da Fe's in Spain, twenty families were accused of meeting in a private synagogue. Five Marranos were burned alive. Over the next seven years, there were 868 cases thoughout Spain. Of those cases, 75 people accused of Judaizing were taken to the Auto da Fe. (see 1752) [93] (79)

1721

On May 18th, Maria Barbara Carillo was burned alive by the Inquisition. She is the oldest known victim at age 96.

1728

May 13, HAYIM AND JOSHUA REIZES (Lvov, Lithuania) - The head of the Rabbinical court and head of the yeshiva were arrested when a Jesuit priest, Zoltowskiki, discovered that Jan Filipowicz, a convert, had reconverted to Judaism and accused them of complicity. Jan Filipowicz was soon tortured and killed. Joshua was condemned to death, but committed suicide by cutting his own throat. For three days his brother Hayim refused to convert to Christianity. His tongue was then torn out, his body quartered and he was finally burned. Their property was then confiscated. [93] (79)

1730

One of New England’s most esteemed religious leaders, Reverend Solomon Stoddard, formally proposed to the Massachusetts Governor that the colonists be given the financial wherewithal to purchase and train large packs of dogs to “hunt Indians as they do bears.”

1736

December 23, PERU The last Auto da Fe in the New World took place. Dona Ana de Castro, a former lover of the viceroy (among others), was accused of Judaizing and burned at the stake. Her execution probably had more to do with official embarrassment than any religious devotion on her part. [94] (80)

1738

July 15, ST. PETERSBURG (Russia) - Baruch Laibov and Alexander Voznitzin were burned alive with the consent of Empress Anna Johanova. Voznitzin, a naval captain, was guilty of the crime of converting to Judaism. Laibov was guilty of helping him. [94] (80)